Mail-bag fastener.



PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

G. T. BARR. Y MAIL BAG PASTE-NEE.

APPLIOATIOQT FILED JULY 19, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WHWLQQ/OOQIGV 26/432 PATENTED JULY 16, 1907. G. T. BARR. MAIL BAG FASTENER. APPLICATION rILnn JULY 19,1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE T. BARR, OFWAGO, TEXAS.

MAIL-BAG FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1907.

Application filed July 19, 1906. Serial No. 326,911-

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in fasteners orclosures for mail bags and the like, and consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, convenient and comparatively inexpensive device of this character which when closed will effectively lock the mail bag shut and when opened hold the mouth of the same extended to permit mail to be readily inserted in or removed from the bag.

The above and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, are accomplished by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail bag, showing its closure in its locked position; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the closure in its opened position; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the fastener or closure in its locked position; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the same in its opened position, and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sectional views.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes a mail bag of the usual form, having at its mouth my improved closure or fastener 2. The latter comprises, preferably, two end sections 3, and two side sections 4 hingedly connected together so that they may be folded, as shown in Fig. 1, to close the mouth of the bag, or extended to form a rectangular frame, as shown in Fig. 2, and thus open the mouth of the bag. These sections 3, 4 are preferably angular in form and have the upper edge of the bag 1 suitably secured to their vertical flanges 5. The vertical flanges 5 of both the side and end sections are cut and bent to form circular hinge straps 6, and these straps 6 at the adjoining ends of adjacent sections are concentrically arranged to receive a cylindrical-pintle 7 which has projecting from the center of its top a reduced pin or pivot 8 which passes through alined apertures in 'the overlapping ends of horizontal flanges 9 of said angular sections 3, 4: As clearly shown in Fig. 6, the pin 8 is preferably formed integral with the pintle 7 and has its upper end upset or headed as at 8 to retain the flanges 9 upon it and to retain the pintle in the hinge straps 6. Said sections 3, 4 are preferably formed of sheet metal, as

shown, and the provision of the above described pivotal connections between both the vertical flanges 5 and the horizontal flanges 9, produces an exceedingly strong and durable hinge joint or connection, which is highly essential for closures of this character since they are subject to very rough usage. sections 3 have at their ends, square portions 10 which are adapted to engage the sections 4 when the closure is opened to prevent the same from opening to too great i an extent and thereby retain the sections 3, 4 at right angles to each other. To facilitate opening the device, I preferably provide at diagonally opposite corners of the same coil springs 11. These springs have their coils arranged upon the pins 8 between the upper ends of the pintles 7 and the horizontal flanges 9, and their arms 12 bear against the inner faces of the vertical flanges 5 of said sections, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

In order to hold the device in its closed position shown in Fig. 1, I preferably provide upon the inner face of the flange 5 of one of the sections 4, an inwardly extending hasp or keeper 13, and upon the correspond,

ing portion of the other side section 4, a lock 14 which has a spring projected bolt 15 which is adapted to en- The flanges 9 of the gage said hasp or keeper. This lock may be ofany 3 sections 3 is arranged a tag holder or slide 18, which has one of its ends opened and adapted to be closed by a cover plate 19 arranged upon the end of the adjacent side section 4. As shown in Fig. 1, the closure 19 is swung away from the open end of the tag holder 18 when the device is open; but when the latter is closed, as shown in Fig. 1, the plate 19 swings against the open end of the holder 18 to close the same; as shown in Fig. 1. Suitable handles 20 are provided upon the side sections 4, and the usual handle 21 isprovided upon the ,bottom of the bag 1.

The construction, operation and advantages of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. It will be seen that the device is of simple, strong, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction, so that it may be manufactured at a small cost and will stand rough usage. It is convenient and easy to operate and saves a great amount of time, since it dispenses with the necessity of straps, padlocks and other fastening devices. By simply closing the device, the bag is automatically locked, and it may be as readily opened by inserting a key in the hole 16 and turning it to disengage the bolt 15 from the keeper or hasp 13, the springs 11 forcing the closure to its opened position.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the mi nor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from: the principle or sacrificingany of the v advantages of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-ters-Patent.is:

1. A mail bag closure comprising angular sections having overlapping horizontal flanges formed with alined',

apertures and to retain the pintles in the hinge straps,

pivot aperturcs andverticalQ flanges havingtheir, ends cut and bent to provide cylindrical hinge straps, said straps upon adjacent sections being concentrically arranged, cylindrical pintles in said concentrically arranged hinge straps, pins projecting from the upper ends of; said. pintles and concentric therewith and through the pivot apertures in saidhorizontal flanges and means upon the upper and outer endsof said: pinsto retain them in said apertures and tovretaimthe pintles in the hinge straps substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A mail bag closure comprising angular sections having overlapping horizontal flanges formed withalined pivot apertures, and vertical flanges having their ends cut and bent to provide cylindrical hinge straps, said straps upon adjacent sections being concentrically arranged, cylindrical pintles in: said concentrically arranged hinge of said pins being upset or headed to retain them in said and a coil springhaving its coil arranged upon one of said pins betweenzthe upper end of its pintle and the adjacent i horizontal flange and having arms engaged with the inner faces of the vertical flanges of the adjacent sections, substantially as shown and described; 

